Passion drives IceCaps coach

McCambridge pays attention to details

St. John’s IceCaps head coach Keith McCambridge could one day join Randy Carlyle, Alain Vigneault, Scott Arniel, and Claude Noel as coaches who have gone to the NHL after leading an AHL team owned by True North.

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Keith McCambridge is quick to admit he’s been called obsessive compulsive.

Given the profession he’s in, that’s often a good thing.

Besides, the head coach of the St. John’s IceCaps makes no apologies for the style he brings to the table for his second season on the job.

“The details are the part you’ve got to make sure of,” McCambridge said during a break in training camp. “Without a doubt, my personality is that things have to be exactly the way they need to be. With the I’s dotted and T’s crossed. That’s just who I am.”

McCambridge was born in Thompson, but grew up in Selkirk before his hockey odyssey took him to the Western Hockey League (where he won a Memorial Cup with the Kamloops Blazers) and ultimately, to the pros for a career that took him to the American Hockey League, the International Hockey League and the ECHL.

McCambridge was a bruising defenceman and a great leader. He was also a student of the game, paying close attention to how his coaches — including future NHL guys like Peter Laviolette, Todd McLellan and Randy Carlyle — did things.

“I would take notes about what I liked and what I didn’t like about the way they ran their day-to-day, team meetings, all of the above,” said McCambridge.

Eventually, McCambridge made a decision to transition into the next phase of his career, accepting a job as a player/assistant coach with the Alaska Aces of the ECHL. When head coach Davis Payne was promoted to the AHL in 2007, McCambridge took over as bench boss.

“The ECHL is such a great training ground, because you do everything,” said McCambridge. “I didn’t have an assistant coach. You’re head coach, general manager, you recruit players, you manage the salary cap, do video, travel, immigration, all of that. And you have your blueprint on every different aspect of the team.”

The past four men to lead teams owned by True North Sports & Entertainment were promoted to the NHL as head coaches — Carlyle, Alain Vigneault, Scott Arniel and Claude Noel — and it’s not a stretch to suggest McCambridge could be the fifth .

“Coaching is something that I’m really passionate about,” said McCambridge. “It’s such a chess match, not only with the opposition coach but with your team, making sure you’re saying the right thing to each individual, pushing the right buttons and not making moves without taking a look about how it might affects three or four other people or how it affects your team in two or three weeks. I’ve enjoyed every day of it. I’m trying to get better and making sure I’m not complacent.”

After spending two seasons as an assistant coach with the Manitoba Moose, McCambridge was hired to lead the IceCaps in the summer of 2011, making a seamless move back into the head job and guiding them to the Eastern Conference final.

“Keith is a player’s coach, he’s always approachable,” said IceCaps defenceman Paul Postma. “He likes to go over video and his goal for you is to get better and to make it to the next level. He was a really good stay-at-home defenceman and I have a lot of respect for him.”

“It’s no surprise to me, how he has taken over the team and the respect he has among the players and within our organization,” added Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. “He’s a bright coach, a humble person and very well-spoken. He’s very, very professional and he understands the Xs and Os of the game as well. That’s a very good combination. He’s a tremendous asset for our organization.”